science

Hermann Lemp

Hermann Lemp is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Hermann Lemp rather than just read about it. In short: Hermann Lemp born: Heinrich Joseph Hermann Lemp (August 8, 1862 – March 31, 1954) was a Swiss-American electrical engineer; he is credited as the inventor of the modern system of diesel electric traction co-ordination and control. Born and educated in Switzerland, he emigrated to America aged 19, hoping to work with T.

Key takeaways

Hermann Lemp belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Hermann Lemp to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Hermann Lemp from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Hermann Lemp born: Heinrich Joseph Hermann Lemp (August 8, 1862 – March 31, 1954) was a Swiss-American electrical engineer; he is credited as the inventor of the modern system of diesel electric traction co-ordination and control. Born and educated in Switzerland, he emigrated to America aged 19, hoping to work with T. A. Edison. He joined Edison General Electric and worked with Edison on electrical projects, including one of Edison's first electric locomotives. A short while later he joined Elihu Thomson, of the Thomson-Houston Company. That company became part of General Electric (GE), to which Edison acted as consultant. He met Rudolf Diesel on his visit to the USA in 1911, and was an invited observer at the trials of Diesel's direct-drive 1,000 hp (750 kW) locomotive in 1912. The diesel engine was too powerful for the mechanical gears. Lemp, with his colleagues, persuaded GE that diesel traction had a future, but that a non-mechanical transmission system was required. The proposed transmission was electrical, using the diesel engine to power a generator that supplied current to the traction motors. However, such a system would need a device to coordinate engine and generator output. He invented one, patented in 1914. This patent provided the basis for the systems used by many other locomotive and diesel makers. GE did not enter the locomotive field then, but did authorize the purchase of Junker's patent for high speed diesel engines, and the manufacture of some small experimental locomotives. However, GE's later, successful locomotives used Lemp's improved system, patented after World War I. The first GE diesel electric locomotive was a demonstrator, made to Lemp's specifications by a trio of GE, ALCO and Ingersoll-Rand, who made, respectively, the electrical equipment, the body and the engine. This machine started trials around New York City in 1924, sales of similar locomotives starting from 1925. His system of control is also used in other applications apart from railways, such as on giant earth-moving equipment. Lemp died at his home in Ridgewood, New Jersey, on March 31, 1954.

References Railway Gazette (London) Diesel Traction Review (supplement)- two articles in same: 'The Early History of Electric Transmission Control', October 1952, p 254-256, and 'Diesel-Traction Inventor' (Herman Lemp obituary)' June 1954 p124. Descriptions of GE locomotives in Pinkepank 'Diesel Spotter's Guide' Kalmbach Publishing. Self-propelled vehicle Patent 1,589,182 at Google Patents

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Hermann Lemp

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Hermann Lemp claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Hermann Lemp before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Hermann Lemp ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Hermann Lemp

In research: Hermann Lemp appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Hermann Lemp in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Hermann Lemp is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1862 births, 1954 deaths, Locomotive builders and designers, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Hermann Lemp outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Hermann Lemp in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Hermann Lemp means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Hermann Lemp out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Hermann Lemp in simple terms?

Why does Hermann Lemp matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Hermann Lemp?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Hermann Lemp.